It is now less than 100 days until I get my hands on Tom Clancy’s The Division. March 8th will be a day almost as exciting as this Saturday when I see the new Star Wars movie ( YES I actually said that ).

It stands to reason that the ” Ubisoft Marketing machine” is going to be winding up and if the latest trailer is any indication of the tone and quality they are going for; I approve!

Remember that the official BETA for the Division has been pushed back to early 2016 so if you cant wait until March then you will get a taste just after the new year.

There is definitely no shortage of first person shooters in the video game marketplace and Ghost in the Shell doesn’t look like its going to re invent the genre. It does however take elements from some of the newest games in the category and infuse them with some good old fashioned Anime aesthetics.

At first glance it appears to be a complete retooling of this years Call of Duty Black Ops 3 but in this case the futuristic setting and Cyber technology seems more at home.

If you arent familiar with the Ghost in the Shell franchise head over to http://www.ghostintheshell.com.au/ and be prepared to get blown away.Its a good idea anyway because a feature length motion picture is in development starring Scarlett Johansson.

” First Assault” is being released as a F2P shooter for PC in 2016 and you can check out the trailer below.

It seems like a long time ago that Bungie launched The Taken King expansion for Destiny players craving something new and exciting for the holiday season. Not wanting the holidays season to go by without some sort of new Destiny content ; Bungie has announced the newest in its continual ” Drip Feed” content plans.

Welcome to Sparrow Racing !

At the risk of coming across as a know it all, I must say…I totally saw this coming.

Back when Bungie was finishing up its Halo run with REACH , they gave us a game mode called ” Mongoose Chace” which had players racing the franchises popular all terrain vehicle across various Forge created maps.

As soon as I played Destiny and got my first experience with the Destiny’s speederbike < complete with Return of the Jedi sound effects when you turn at high speeds> I knew this day would be coming.

Voila!

Jump in on December 8th for a limited time only.

“Speed Kills, but it’s a fun way to go…” – Amanda Holliday

Sparrow Racing is coming to Destiny!

The Sparrow Racing League will welcome competitors to participate in a six-player free-for-all death race through enemy territory. After the update goes live on December 8th, visit Amanda Holliday in the Tower. She’ll be your Quartermaster for the event. Grab and quest and some bounties. Then, take your mark on the starting line. You might also check in with Tess. Eververse Trading will have some flair to make the event a little more fun, and a little more stylish.

The races run for three weeks. They conclude on December 29th. Good luck, and don’t be afraid to trade some paint with your friends.

Stay tuned to learn more. The Live Team will be sounding off about Sparrow Racing later on this afternoon in a brand new ViDoc.

If you haven’t been keeping up with The Division its time to head over to the official site and dig into all of the behind the scenes and community videos they have been releasing. In addition to screenshots they have been dolling out new footage and podcasts.

Everyone over here at Game Nexus are very excited to get our hands on the game in March ( remember the Beta starts in December) 2016 but for now we can only just nibble on these tid bits.

As a Online RPG game; The Division is putting a great emphasis on character development over simply just twitch shooting skills. The developers want you to invest in your character and really feel like you are a part of the ” post economic crash” game world they have created.

The article below comes from the Official Site and outlines how experience and skills will shape your experience in The Division.

INTELLIGENCE ANNEX #8: BUILDING A BETTER AGENT

11/25/2015 02:25 PM

Hello, agents!

Last episode we took a look at the base level of Tom Clancy’s The Division by exploring the world. Now it’s time to build on that and delve into the life of the agents and learn how they’re able to adapt into a variety of different roles, scenarios, and playstyles.

To tackle this enormous topic, we called upon a bunch of talented developers including Game Designer Drew Rechner, Lead Economic Designer Andrada Greciuc, Senior Game Designer Marcus Rosengren, Senior Game Designer Matthieu Delisle, and Lead Character Artist Oskar Lundqvist to take some time off from their busy schedules and answer a few questions. We explored everything from what the experience systems provide for players, how our skill choices provide unique functionalities, the talents and perks system, and everything between. So relax, get comfortable, and keep reading!

THE GROUND LEVEL: EXPERIENCE

Returning to the enemies who previously posed a barrier and easily disposing of them thanks to your higher level, new skills, and talents is the pinnacle of character advancement within The Division. Marcus explains the experience system perfectly, “It helps contextualize a player’s progression. Our brain uses contrasts all the time, so having levels gives you something to compare with.” Every adversary we encounter in The Division is tied to a level, just as our agents are, so naturally those who are of a higher level are more difficult and pose a much greater threat. However, with every level up your agent becomes more powerful and gains access to more advanced technology, unlocking skill modifications along with talents to assist them with even greater challenges. If you aren’t prepared, your agent is revived upon death at a distant safe point, and regardless of where that is the path back to your encounter may be filled with new dangers. Choose your fights wisely as you can return at a later point with better equipment and skills!

Within the Dark Zone, players will collect an entirely new form of experience. Detached from the regular level experience, players gain Dark Zone experience more as a rank system rather than a level. Matthieu explains that with a higher rank you will gain access to superior equipment and crafting recipes at specific vendors, but it will also be a requirement to access the high value crates the agents will stumble upon throughout the Dark Zone. Unique to this experience type as well, you can also decrease in rank if you end up dying enough within the Dark Zone. Going rogue certainly has its risks: you will lose even more Dark Zone experience based on your rogue status, but is the potential loot reward from other agents worth the risk?

TOOLS FOR SUCCESS: SKILLS

Do you like explosions, a more tactical and controlled approach, or do you prefer charging at an enemy with a riot shield? “Skills are one of the aspects of the game that help define the player’s role the most,” says Drew. Each one creates a unique strategic approach to encounters, tailored to your preferred playstyle. However, not all skills are available immediately. As agents travel through the world and complete missions, they become more diverse and gain access to more choices. Each skill can then equip an array of modifications. Whether it’s as simple as doing more damage or increasing the scan range, these modifications alter functions to fit a variety of situations. Similar to how you unlock skills, Andrada explains that modifications are made available through your mission progress. While some may take more time to gain access to than others, the two main skills you select will come down to personal preference and tactical advantages. When you have access to multiple choices, they can be swapped around as you see fit, so be sure to plan your approach!

Each skill also carries its own distinctive look. If you look closely at an agent, “you can visibly see the different skills that are selected,” says Oskar. Not only do the skills have a unique look when deployed, but they also impact the passive look of the agents through various visible gadgets. The choice is yours – a skill based on looks, or on functionality?

SPECIALIZING YOUR PLAYSTYLE: TALENTS AND PERKS

Whether you like to play solo, support a group of friends, or sit back and dish out damage with the biggest gun possible, each talent allows you to take that extra step needed toward specializing your playstyle. Similar to skill modifications, talents are unlocked through your mission progress. They actively affect your prowess in situations to further adapt your agent based on your playstyle preference. Each talent provides a unique combat enhancement triggered through defined activities that assist you in overcoming a challenge. When you have unlocked every one of them, you can select and freely swap between them to explore a variety of options.

Andrada describes the function of perks as convenience enhancers. We, as agents, will feel ourselves progressing further as we complete more missions and unlock more perks. Once unlocked, perks are active and do not need to be triggered in any way. From increasing the number of items you can carry to additional crafting materials, each perk brings its own convenience that presents a sense of your agent’s progression within the world of The Division. However, unlocking all the perks is directly tied to your mission progress as well, so get to work!

We hope you enjoyed our look into the diverse and exciting progression of the agents as much as we did, and look forward to getting your hands on the upcoming beta! As always we love hearing from you guys so please stop by our Facebook,Twitter, Google+, our official forums, or join the conversation on Reddit and let us know what you think. Keep your eyes peeled for any future content!

While the Internet Debate still rages on as to whether or not Star Wars Battlefront was worth the long wait we had to endure, I for one am super happy with my purchase. I will even admit that I bought the Ultimate edition complete with Season pass ( Ill write a separate article debating the value of a $50 Season Pass).

As I strap myself in and await the DLC onslaught that has been announced I am pleased to be receiving some early content in the form of a FREE map and game mode centered around the upcoming movie; The Force Awakens.

Below is the official excerpt from the Battlefront Official Site. Enjoy!

The Battle Of Jakku

Two new maps, one new mode – free for everyone

Prepare to experience the Battle of Jakku, the pivotal moment when the New Republic confronted key Imperial holdouts on a remote desert planet. Taking place in the aftermath of the Rebel victory in the Battle of Endor, players will experience the events that created the massive, battle-scarred landscape of Jakku shown in Star Wars™: The Force Awakens™.

Players who pre-ordered Star Wars Battlefront can fight the battle one week early starting on December 1st. All other players will get access to this free content on December 8th, 2015.

Key Features

Experience the events that created the massive, battle-scarred landscape of Jakku shown in Star Wars™: The Force Awakens™

2 new maps set on the all-new planet of Jakku

New Turning Point game mode

Available December 1st, 2015 for those that pre-orderedStar Wars™ Battlefront™

Available as a free download to all players on December 8th, 2015

STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT FULL GAME REQUIRED

Turning Point game mode

Turning Point is a vast Star Wars Battlefront game mode for 40 players, included in The Battle of Jakku. The Rebels spawn in and need to locate three control points in Imperial control and try to capture one of these. The clock is ticking, but if the Rebels succeed with a capture additional time will be added and new control points will be available for capture. Moving through these increasingly challenging checkpoints, the ultimate goal is the Empire’s base where the final stand will take place.

Two new exciting maps

Graveyard of Giants

Fight on the Graveyard of Giants in Turning Point, Supremacy, Walker Assault, and Fighter Squadron

Finding new info on Tom Clancy’s The Division is like going on a treasure hunt. It takes you all over the internet in search of little nuggets of info and eventually you stumble on a GIANT find . It still doesn’t make the wait until March 2016 any less painful but at least we get some glimpses of the truly great game it is shaping up to be.

The latest findings come courtesy of none other than Ubisoft themselves with a surprising amount of details and video being shown on the studio’s latest community Q&A

Have a look below and get ready to catch the drool as it rolls off your lips 🙂

Published on Nov 13, 2015

Find out more about character creation, customization and skills in our latest Community Q&A video!We put your questions to the developers so you can become an expert; because who doesn’t want to impress their friends with their knowledge of The Division ;-).

You can send your Skype video messages to TheDivisionGame. We look forward to hearing from you!

A new generation of consoles are upon us and with it brings a slew of new games to go with them. As with any new generation of consoles will will and have already been treated to the inevitable onslaught of sequels and spin offs of established game franchises.

In the two years that Xbox One and Playstation 4 have been in the market we have seen Call of Duty, Battlefield, Assassins Creed, Halo, Need for Speed, Fallout, Elder Scrolls, Killzone, Tomb Raider, Forza given fresh coats of paint and Next Gen tweaking.

I am not opposed to playing new iterations of some of my favourite games , its the new IP’s that get most excited and while they are slowly trickling into the market we have to rely on our old favourites to quench our thirsts.

At this years E3 Microsoft dropped a MEGA TON bomb on the industry by announcing Backward Compatibility for the XBOX One; a feature that was supposedly ” not feesible with the Xbox One hardware” when the system launched in 2013. The announcement was met with mixed reactions and a large majority simply didnt see why they would want to play last gen games on their shiny new console. I on the other hand knew exactly why…..because I hadnt finished playing some of my old games and I didnt really want to go back to disc based games on a different console in my home. I wanted to use my Xbox One but I totally didnt mind playing older titles. One such series was Gears of War!

Gears of War has always had a special spot in my gaming heart. It was the first new IP that I experienced when I jumped back into commsole gaming with my Xbox 360. The setting and the overall presentation combined with spot on shooting mechanics grabbedme and never let go. I played and followed the series right through to its conclusion in 2011 with Gears of War 3 ( I never touched Judgement ). When Backward compaytibility was announced at E3 2015 I immediatley had visions of firing up the gears series on my Xbox One . Imagine my surprise when the Gears of War ultimate edition was announced at the same E3 and that it would include digital copies of the entire Gears of War saga to boot!

One of the great things about the Gears of War saga is that each game still holds up graphically and gameplay wise compared to current gen games ( Although playing Gears multiplayer in 60fps in the Ultimate Edition will be hard to give up). I am also very excited to share these games with some new XBOX One friends who didnt experience them when they first launched.

I have created a brief overview of the Gears of War saga for those players who may not have played them and are curious about what type of gaming experience they are in for if they jump in .

Gears of War

This was the game that started it all. This one will introduce you to the games cover mechanics and unique ” Gears Gamplay” all the while taking you on a compelling romp through various locales on the planet Sera. The antagonists, The Locusts are introduced as well as the main cast of characters that will go on the entire series journey with you. Its a short but sweet campaign and one that absolutely MUST be played with a Co-Op partner.

Gears of War 2

launching with the cathphrase ” Bigger, Badder and more Bad Ass” Gears 2 delivered on that message and then some. Carrying on the story of Delta Squad and fleshing out the world around us while keeping the story intimate and personal ( who didnt get goose bumps at least once??). Gears 2 also ushered in a new era of Co-Op for console gamers and a game mode that was copied by almost every developer who made a game in the following years. Horde mode was a wave based ” survival mode” that was unheard of before Epic gave it to us. Team up with 4 friends and tackle waves of enemy AI with each subsequent round getting harder and harder was a stroe of genius that kept gamers coming back well after the campaign wrapped. Gears 2 is still considered to be the best in the series and brings back may memroies from this particular gamer.

Gears of War 3

Launching in 2011, Gears of War 3 promised to wrap up the saga and all the lingering plot threads would come to a conclusion. Thsi was no easy task but not only did Epic pull it off they also managed to improve the Gears tried ad true gamplay and give us a barn burner of a wrap up the series. Introducing new multiplayer mechanics and giving us a 4 player co op campaign this is the game that saw the most time spinning in my Xbox 360. The story grabbed you and didnt let go and I can telll you that one scene in particular brought the house down with a combination of sadness mixed with a true WTF?!?!? MOMENT. Gears 3 is an EPIC masterpeice and one that deserves to be played. If you liked Horde mode from part 2 then Horde 2.0 made you fall in love again. This title was the series high point but as we all know when you get to the top … the only way to go is down…

Gears of War: Judgement

Being a ” non numbered” entry in the franchise was the first warninng signs that we where not getting a true follow up to part 3’s greatness. Switching directions ( and developers) Epic studios gave us a prequel story that revolved around Lt. Baird and Cole Train from the main series. This story like part 3 allowed for 4 players to play in a co op campaign . Introducing some new mechanics and a completely off grid multiplayer experience that excited some fans and completley pissed others off. The story itself was wrth the price of admission but didnt really give us anything to chew on as far as our main characters. In the end the game delivered a Gears of War experience, just not the one we all had hoped would follow up Gears of War 3.

The Future

Gears of War has been officially announced for sometime in 2016 and all we have is an amazing E3 gameplay reveal. The future is bright for the franchise and I for one cant wait to see what the developers cook up for us.

NOTE:This article is a very high level summary of the series so far. There have been many behind the scenes details about the past ad future of the franchise that purposely didn’t make it into the article ( I didnt want to write a novel for you guys)

EA Star Wars Battlefront has pulled back the curtain on the remaining planets/maps we will be playing on November 17th. Make sure you spend some time clicking on all the elements of the interactive trailers below.

There are a ton of little details that haven’t previously released and we get our first formal look at Speeder Bikes in action on Endor !

I don’t know about you but seeing Vader battle Han Solo gives me a feeling of dread every time I see it .

The Games with Gold program has been running for quite awhile now and Xbox gamers have been seeing a healthy dose of older titles < and some recent titles> land on their lap every month. Up until now you could only get (2) free games on each console and unless you had an Xbox 360 from last gen you could only play the FREE Xbox One games Microsoft was giving you. Continue reading “Xbox One gets 4 FREE Games per Month starting November”→